editorNPR Digital Services RSS Generator 0.94NPR News' Brian Naylor is a correspondent on the Washington Desk. In this role, he covers politics and federal agencies, including transportation and homeland security. With more than 30 years of experience at NPR, Naylor has served as National Desk correspondent, White House correspondent, congressional correspondent, foreign correspondent and newscaster during All Things Considered. He has filled in as host on many NPR programs, including Morning Edition , Weekend Edition and Talk of the Nation . During his NPR career, Naylor has covered many of the major world events, including political conventions, the Olympics, the White House, Congress and the mid-Atlantic region. Naylor reported from Tokyo in the aftermath of the 2011 earthquake and tsunami, from New Orleans following the BP oil spill, and from West Virginia after the deadly explosion at the Upper Big Branch coal mine. While covering the U.S. Congress in the mid-1990s, Naylor's reporting contributed to NPR's 1996 Alfred I.NPR Digital Services RSS Generator 0.94Brian NaylorSat, 23 Sep 2017 11:54:39 +0000Brian Naylorhttp://upr.org
Brian NaylorPresident Trump is facing a decision on whether to extend the ban on travelers from six majority-Muslim nations from entering the U.S. This week, acting Homeland Security Secretary Elaine Duke sent the White House her recommendations for "tough and tailored" security vetting, to replace the current ban, which expires Sunday. Those recommendations included travel restrictions and enhanced screening, DHS counselor Miles Taylor told reporters Friday afternoon. However officials would not say which countries' travelers would face the restrictions nor would they say what the specific restrictions would be — indicating the final decision would be the president's. "We've got to do everything possible to keep nefarious actors out" of the U.S., Taylor said. Nations were given a list of minimum requirements for entry into the U.S., similar to what the Department of Homeland Security now requires of people entering the country from visa waiver nations, including biometric passport data andTrump Considering New Restrictions To Replace His Trademark Travel Banhttp://upr.org/post/trump-considering-new-restrictions-replace-his-trademark-travel-ban
91341 as http://upr.orgFri, 22 Sep 2017 20:09:00 +0000Trump Considering New Restrictions To Replace His Trademark Travel BanBrian NaylorUpdated at 11:55 p.m. ET The Equifax data breach exposed the personal information of an estimated 143 million Americans . It has led to a lawsuit against the company by the state of Massachusetts, an investigation by the Federal Trade Commission and the promise of congressional hearings. The episode, though, has revealed that up until now, the big three credit reporting companies have had a lot of clout in Washington, D.C., analysts say. The credit reporting companies have to comply with rules set by the Federal Trade Commission and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, which regulate how the companies can sell your financial data to other companies. But protecting that data is a kind of regulatory black hole. There is very little oversight — compared to banks, for example, says Rohit Chopra, a former assistant director of the CFPB. "To maintain a national bank license, banks have to prove that their standards are up to snuff," he says, "but credit reporting agencies don't faceEquifax Breach Puts Credit Bureaus' Oversight In Questionhttp://upr.org/post/equifax-breach-puts-credit-bureaus-oversight-question
91278 as http://upr.orgThu, 21 Sep 2017 09:05:00 +0000Equifax Breach Puts Credit Bureaus' Oversight In QuestionBrian Naylorhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SLoQoYi3P5U Television is intractable in the story of Donald Trump, with his run on reality TV serving as the lead-in to his political rise. And television's 69th Emmy Awards seemed all about Trump Sunday night. The tone of the award show was set from host Stephen Colbert's opening monologue, in which he noted, "However you feel about the president, and you do feel about the president, you can't deny that every show was influenced by Donald Trump in some way. All the late-night shows, obviously." Colbert went on: We all know the Emmys mean a lot to Donald Trump. Because he was nominated multiple times for Celebrity Apprentice but he never won. Why didn't you give him an Emmy? I tell you this. If he had won an Emmy, I bet he wouldn't have run for president. So in a way this is all your fault. And Colbert's biggest zinger: "Unlike the presidency, Emmys go to the winner of the popular vote." Soon after, who should appear on stage, pushing out a lectern butThe Real 'Spicey' Crashes The Emmys, As Stars Mock Trumphttp://upr.org/post/real-spicey-crashes-emmys-stars-mock-trump
91179 as http://upr.orgMon, 18 Sep 2017 14:35:00 +0000The Real 'Spicey' Crashes The Emmys, As Stars Mock TrumpBrian NaylorFormer Sen. Pete Domenici, who championed balanced budgets, nuclear energy and parity for mental illnesses in health insurance during his six terms in office, died Wednesday morning in Albuquerque, N.M. The New Mexico Republican was 85. His death was confirmed by his son Pete Domenici Jr.'s law office and announced on the Senate floor by Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, who also tweeted the news: Pietro Vichi Domenici was born in Albuquerque in 1932, the son of Italian immigrants. In one of his final Senate speeches, he revealed his mother had been in the country illegally. He played Minor League Baseball for a while as a pitcher. After serving on the Albuquerque City Commission, he lost a bid for New Mexico governor, then was elected to an open U.S. Senate seat in 1972. (Other notables in that year's freshman class included Joe Biden, Jesse Helms and Sam Nunn.) Domenici rose to become chairman of the Budget Committee, leading the fight for spending cuts and a balanced federal budget.Pete Domenici, Former Senator And Balanced-Budget Advocate, Dieshttp://upr.org/post/pete-domenici-former-senator-and-balanced-budget-advocate-dies
91053 as http://upr.orgWed, 13 Sep 2017 20:03:00 +0000Pete Domenici, Former Senator And Balanced-Budget Advocate, DiesBrian NaylorUpdated at 10:45 a.m. ET The disaster relief bill given final approval by Congress on Friday can't come too soon for the Federal Emergency Management Agency. Without a new injection of funds, officials said FEMA's cash box would be empty as early as this weekend, right around the time that Hurricane Irma is scheduled to slam into southern Florida, while southeast Texas and Louisiana are still drying out from Hurricane Harvey. The agency can "easily go through $200 million in a day," according to Elizabeth Zimmerman, a former associate administrator at FEMA, "just gearing up, responding and being prepared for a disaster that's coming." There is at least one more hurricane on the immediate horizon, and it isn't even the peak of the season yet. The agency is also providing funds to help fight wildfires in the West. Zimmerman says FEMA's disaster relief fund is an annual appropriation of roughly $6 billion. It's based on a rolling average of disaster costs over the last 10 years. The $15With Harvey And Now Irma, Federal Funds And FEMA Are Put To The Testhttp://upr.org/post/harvey-and-now-irma-federal-funds-and-fema-are-put-test
90851 as http://upr.orgFri, 08 Sep 2017 09:01:00 +0000With Harvey And Now Irma, Federal Funds And FEMA Are Put To The TestBrian NaylorPresident Trump is pledging to chip in to assist Hurricane Harvey recovery efforts, to the tune of $1 million of his personal funds. White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders made the unexpected announcement during her briefing on Thursday. Responding to a question about whether the president planned to personally contribute, Sanders said Trump "would like to join in the efforts that a lot of the people that we've seen across this country do, and he's pledging $1 million of personal money to the fund." Sanders told reporters that Trump had asked her to check with "the folks in this room since you are very good with research" about where he should make the donation for people in Texas and Louisiana. As it happens, NPR has a list of where people wishing to donate funds to the Harvey recovery might look — as well as a warning about scams and schemes to avoid . Trump has had a spotty record when it comes to pledging and then actually carrying through on his promises to donateTrump Promises $1 Million Of Personal Funds To Aid Harvey Victimshttp://upr.org/post/trump-promises-1-million-personal-funds-aid-harvey-victims
90569 as http://upr.orgThu, 31 Aug 2017 22:00:00 +0000Trump Promises $1 Million Of Personal Funds To Aid Harvey VictimsBrian NaylorUpdated at 6:15 p.m. ET President Trump, declaring "there has probably never been anything like this," praised the work done by federal officials and authorities in Texas and Louisiana to deal with the massive flooding caused by Harvey, the hurricane-turned-tropical storm. "To the people of Texas and Louisiana, we are 100 percent with you," Trump said in his opening statement at a joint news conference with Finnish President Sauli Niinisto. "We are one American family," he said, adding, "We will get through this. We will come out stronger, and believe me we will be bigger, better, stronger than ever before." In response to a question about funding for long-term recovery, Trump told Dallas News' Todd Gillman, "You're going to have what you need, and it's going to go fast," saying he had already spoken with members of Congress. Trump is traveling to Texas on Tuesday, and said he may return to the area on Saturday. At an earlier briefing in Washington, Federal Emergency Management AgencyTrump Promises '100 Percent' Support For Flood Victimshttp://upr.org/post/historic-flooding-houston-leads-surge-federal-assistance-efforts
90402 as http://upr.orgMon, 28 Aug 2017 18:56:00 +0000Trump Promises '100 Percent' Support For Flood VictimsBrian NaylorHurricane Harvey is the first test of the Trump administration's response to a natural disaster. And much of that responsibility falls on the shoulder of the administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, William "Brock" Long. Long was confirmed as FEMA administrator by the Senate in June, just a few months ago, but he is not exactly a stranger to the agency. He was a regional manager there during the George W. Bush administration, and he went on to serve as Alabama's emergency management director. "Top of the top" His Trump administration colleague, homeland security adviser Tom Bossert, gave Long a strong endorsement during a White House briefing Friday. "We couldn't have picked a finer leader," Bossert said. "He's had state director experience; he's had FEMA experience. He's absolutely the top of the top." In Alabama, Long oversaw recovery efforts from tornadoes and the BP oil spill. Barry Scanlon, who worked at FEMA during the Clinton administration and is now a privateNew, Respected FEMA Chief Faces First Major Challenge With Hurricane Harveyhttp://upr.org/post/new-respected-fema-chief-faces-first-major-challenge-hurricane-harvey
90319 as http://upr.orgFri, 25 Aug 2017 23:47:00 +0000New, Respected FEMA Chief Faces First Major Challenge With Hurricane HarveyBrian NaylorCopyright 2017 NPR. To see more, visit AILSA CHANG, HOST: The Secret Service is being very open about budget troubles. It has enough money to pay for operations through the end of September, but then after that, the director says they will need a boost in order to afford overtime. In part, the agency is strained by the costs of protecting President Trump and his far-flung family. But as NPR's Brian Naylor reports, that is not the only issue. BRIAN NAYLOR, BYLINE: Secret Service Director Randolph Tex Alles says roughly 1,100 employees will work overtime this calendar year, earning more than the pay cap set by Congress. In a statement, he blames an overall increase in operational tempo and not the current administration's protection requirements alone. But there's no question President Trump's frequent travels from Washington, as well as the necessity to protect his family members, is putting a strain on the agency. His adult children travel the world for their businesses. And theBusy Trump Travel Schedule Adds To Secret Service Overtime Costshttp://upr.org/post/busy-trump-travel-schedule-adds-secret-service-overtime-costs
90148 as http://upr.orgTue, 22 Aug 2017 09:02:00 +0000Busy Trump Travel Schedule Adds To Secret Service Overtime CostsBrian Naylorhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zjcYddxxyzY President Trump says he is ready to declare the nation's opioid crisis "a national emergency," saying it is a "serious problem the likes of which we have never had." Speaking to reporters at the entrance to his Bedminster, N.J., golf club, where he is on a working vacation, Trump promised "to spend a lot of time, a lot of effort and a lot of money on the opioid crisis." The willingness to declare a national emergency is a change from earlier in the week, when after briefing the president on the administration's response to the opioid crisis, Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price said declaring a public health emergency was usually reserved for "time-limited" problems such as the Zika outbreak. The president's Commission on Combating Drug Addiction and the Opioid Crisis had recommended in an interim report released July 31 that the president immediately declare a national emergency, citing an overdose death rate of 142 a day. TrumpTrump Says He Intends To Declare Opioid Crisis National Emergencyhttp://upr.org/post/trump-says-he-intends-declare-opioid-crisis-national-emergency
89696 as http://upr.orgThu, 10 Aug 2017 20:43:00 +0000Trump Says He Intends To Declare Opioid Crisis National EmergencyBrian NaylorIn August, those who can flee D.C.'s swamplike heat and humidity in search of a cool breeze. This summer, that number includes President Trump. He's spending the next 17 days at his golf club in Bedminster, N.J. — not a wilderness, for sure, but likely a degree or two cooler and less humid than the capital city, even if it's not far from the Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge. The White House insists this will be a working vacation; the presidential getaway is necessitated, in fact, by plans to rehabilitate the West Wing's heating and air conditioning this month. "The president is going to continue to work," deputy press secretary Lindsay Walters told reporters aboard Air Force One on Thursday night. "The staff and the president are moving out, because I don't think any of you would like to be in the West Wing in an August D.C. summer day when it's over 100 degrees with no air conditioning," Walters said. If that sounds a bit defensive, well, it was Trump who insisted that CongressTrump Heads To His New Jersey Golf Club For 17-Day 'Working Vacation'http://upr.org/post/trump-heads-his-new-jersey-golf-club-17-day-working-vacation
89481 as http://upr.orgFri, 04 Aug 2017 18:55:00 +0000Trump Heads To His New Jersey Golf Club For 17-Day 'Working Vacation'Brian NaylorCopyright 2017 NPR. To see more, visit AUDIE CORNISH, HOST: The Trump administration has made no secret of its intent to roll back as many federal regulations as it can. President Trump says he wants to eliminate two existing regulations for each new one put in place. It takes time to repeal regulations outright, so the administration is taking another tack by attempting to delay rules from taking effect. NPR's Brian Naylor explains. BRIAN NAYLOR, BYLINE: Eneshal Miller has a problem with the air she breathes. The 43-year-old hairstylist moved with her son from Washington, D.C., to a Maryland suburb partly to get away from Washington's smog. ENESHAL MILLER: I do have issues with the air outside that I'm breathing. I may suffer from things like headaches. Sometimes I'm just not able to come outside based on the temperatures, based on the smog. A lot of times my son, who is now 18, he has asthma. NAYLOR: Miller and her son's health troubles from breathing dirty air are not unusual. AEnvironmental Groups Challenge EPA In Court Over Ozone Rulehttp://upr.org/post/environmental-groups-challenge-epa-court-over-ozone-rule
89374 as http://upr.orgWed, 02 Aug 2017 20:15:00 +0000Environmental Groups Challenge EPA In Court Over Ozone RuleBrian NaylorUpdated at 3:30 p.m. ET President Trump unveiled controversial legislation on Wednesday that would sharply curtail legal immigration to the United States. The president met at the White House with two Republican senators pushing the legislation, Tom Cotton of Arkansas and David Perdue of Georgia. One of Trump's campaign promises was to reduce immigration, illegal and legal. The Cotton-Perdue legislation, also known as the RAISE Act (for Reforming American Immigration for a Strong Economy), would cut by half the number of legal immigrants accepted into the U.S. each year. As NPR's John Burnett reported, "Their bill would do three things: First, limit the number of foreign nationals who are able to get green cards to reunite with their families already in the U.S. — currently the largest category of legal immigrants; second, cut the number of refugees in half; third, eliminate the diversity visa lottery — a program that gives visas to countries with low rates of immigration to the UnitedTrump Unveils Legislation Limiting Legal Immigrationhttp://upr.org/post/trump-unveil-legislation-limiting-legal-immigration
89353 as http://upr.orgWed, 02 Aug 2017 14:20:00 +0000Trump Unveils Legislation Limiting Legal ImmigrationBrian NaylorUpdated at 3:36 p.m. ET President Trump swore in his new chief of staff Monday morning, former Homeland Security Secretary and retired Marine Gen. John Kelly, telling reporters he has no doubt Kelly will do a "spectacular job" in his new role. Kelly takes over from Reince Priebus, former chairman of the Republican National Committee, who left the position after a little over six months, unable to bring order to a chaotic and at times fractious West Wing. Hours after Kelly stepped into the role, the White House announced Anthony Scaramucci would no longer be communications director. "Mr. Scaramucci felt it was best to give Chief of Staff John Kelly a clean slate and the ability to build his own team. We wish him all the best," said press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders' statement. The changeovers follow one of Trump's worst weeks in office so far — and not just because of Scaramucci's foul-mouthed rant in which he belittled the former chief of staff, followed by Priebus' resignation.Trump Says No 'Chaos' As He Swears In His New Chief Of Staffhttp://upr.org/post/trump-says-no-chaos-he-swears-his-new-chief-staff
89250 as http://upr.orgMon, 31 Jul 2017 14:58:00 +0000Trump Says No 'Chaos' As He Swears In His New Chief Of StaffBrian Naylorhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vc8qK7SaxyM Updated at 3 p.m. ET The day following the defeat of the latest attempt to overturn the Affordable Care Act, Republicans predictably expressed disappointment, Democrats relief, and both sides uncertainty over what, exactly, comes next. House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis., issued a statement that pointedly reminded GOP voters that the House upheld its end of the deal and approved a bill repealing and replacing Obamacare. "Unfortunately," Ryan said, "the Senate was unable to reach a consensus. I am disappointed and frustrated, but we should not give up. I encourage the Senate to continue working toward a real solution that keeps our promise." Speaking to a audience of law enforcement officers on Long Island, N.Y., President Trump said, "They should have approved health care last night, but you can't have everything, boy oh boy." He added, "They've been working on that for seven years, can you believe that? The Swamp. But we'll get it done, we'reCongress Emerges From Another Health Care Failure Without A Clear Path Forwardhttp://upr.org/post/congress-emerges-another-health-care-failure-without-clear-path-forward
89159 as http://upr.orgFri, 28 Jul 2017 18:41:00 +0000Congress Emerges From Another Health Care Failure Without A Clear Path ForwardBrian NaylorWarning: This post contains some very graphic language Updated at 6:40 p.m. ET The newly installed Trump White House communications director, Anthony Scaramucci, unloaded on the White House chief of staff, Reince Priebus, and adviser Steve Bannon with some harsh language that would make a sailor blush. In the interview, posted Thursday, with New Yorker writer Ryan Lizza , Scaramucci called Priebus "a fucking paranoid schizophrenic, a paranoiac." Turning his attention to Bannon, Scaramucci said he had no interest in media attention. "I'm not Steve Bannon; I'm not trying to s*** my own c***," Scaramucci said. "I'm not trying to build my own brand off the fucking strength of the president. I'm here to serve the country." On Thursday evening, Scaramucci followed up on Twitter, saying he would "refrain" from using such language. Scaramucci was initially set off by a report in Politico that indicates he has assets worth as much as $85 million and that he took a $5 million salary fromWhite House Communications Director Calls Chief Of Staff 'A Paranoiac' And Much Worsehttp://upr.org/post/scaramucci-blasts-leak-financial-form-was-public-record
89091 as http://upr.orgThu, 27 Jul 2017 14:08:00 +0000White House Communications Director Calls Chief Of Staff 'A Paranoiac' And Much WorseBrian NaylorCopyright 2017 NPR. To see more, visit ROBERT SIEGEL, HOST: Louisiana Republican Congressman Steve Scalise is out of the hospital. Scalise was shot during a baseball practice with his colleagues last month. He was released from a Washington hospital yesterday, and he is now in a rehab center. NPR's Brian Naylor reports. BRIAN NAYLOR, BYLINE: In a statement, MedStar Washington Hospital Center said Scalise has made excellent progress in his recovery from what it said was a life-threatening gunshot wound. It said the six-term congressman is in good spirits and is now beginning a period of intense inpatient rehabilitation. It did not say where. Scalise, the House majority whip, was shot on June 14 in Alexandria, Va., while he was practicing for the annual charity ball game. He suffered a single wound from the gunshot, which entered his hip, causing extensive damage to bones and internal organs. The gunman, identified as 66-year-old James Hodgkinson, was killed by U.S. Capitol Police. FourRep. Steve Scalise Released From Hospitalhttp://upr.org/post/rep-steve-scalise-released-hospital
89070 as http://upr.orgWed, 26 Jul 2017 20:54:00 +0000Rep. Steve Scalise Released From HospitalBrian NaylorUpdated at 11:55 a.m. ET A senior FBI official said Wednesday the nation is "under relentless assault" from foreign adversaries, as the Senate Judiciary Committee continued its probe into Russia's interference with last year's presidential election. Bill Priestap, assistant director of counterintelligence at the FBI, painted a bleak picture of efforts — both overt and covert — by foreign government agents inside the U.S. "Our economy, our national security and our way of life are being actively threatened by state actors and their proxies," he said. Wednesday's committee hearing was focused on the Foreign Agents Registration Act . Committee Chairman Sen. Charles Grassley, R-Iowa, said that only 400 people are currently registered as foreign agents. "Does anyone seriously think that only 400 people in the whole United States take foreign money for P.R. and lobbying work?" Michael Horowitz, inspector general at the Department of Justice, testified that Congress needs to put "some teethForeign Agents Take Center Stage In Senate Judiciary Committee Hearinghttp://upr.org/post/foreign-agents-take-center-stage-senate-judiciary-committee-hearing
89048 as http://upr.orgWed, 26 Jul 2017 14:48:00 +0000Foreign Agents Take Center Stage In Senate Judiciary Committee HearingBrian NaylorThe Senate voted Tuesday to begin debating a replacement for the Affordable Care Act. It remains uncertain as to what that replacement might look like. No formal legislation has been drafted. But senators moved to take the procedural first step, known as a "motion to proceed." The vote was 51-50, with Vice President Pence casting the tiebreaking vote. Debate will now begin, most likely on a measure to fully repeal the law, also known as Obamacare. With all Democrats opposing the measure, Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell could afford only to lose two votes from his 52-vote majority and two GOP senators did vote no, Maine's Susan Collins and Alaska's Lisa Murkowski. There was more drama. The vote marked the return of Sen. John McCain, the Arizona Republican whose brain cancer diagnosis stunned his colleagues. He was greeted with a standing ovation on the Senate floor and was embraced by senators from both sides of the aisle. McCain then voted yes on the motion. President Trump,Senators Vote To Proceed With Health Care Debatehttp://upr.org/post/senators-vote-whether-proceed-health-care-debate
89012 as http://upr.orgTue, 25 Jul 2017 18:13:00 +0000Senators Vote To Proceed With Health Care DebateBrian NaylorUpdated at 10:24 p.m. ET The White House communications operation underwent a dramatic shake-up Friday. Sean Spicer resigned as press secretary after President Trump appointed Anthony Scaramucci, a wealthy New York financier, as his communications director. Appearing on camera before the White House press corps at a televised press briefing, Scaramucci then announced Sarah Sanders, Spicer's deputy, as the new press secretary. In statements Friday night, Trump praised Scaramucci and Sanders. "Anthony is a person I have great respect for, and he will be an important addition to this Administration," Trump said. "He has been a great supporter and will now help implement key aspects of our agenda while leading the communications team." The White House also said that "Scaramucci will oversee the entire communications operation, including message development and strategy," and that he will report directly to Trump when he begins his new position on August 15. And Trump said that, whileSean Spicer Resigns As Press Secretary In White House Communications Shake-Uphttp://upr.org/post/reports-sean-spicer-resigns-white-house-press-secretary
88898 as http://upr.orgFri, 21 Jul 2017 17:13:00 +0000Sean Spicer Resigns As Press Secretary In White House Communications Shake-Up